Convection Cooking Times & Temps for a Ham

By Katie Leigh

Convection ovens use a fan to circulate warm air throughout the baking compartment, allowing foods to cook more quickly than they would in a conventional oven. When cooking ham in a convection oven, you generally will need to reduce the recommended cooking temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and the cooking time by about 25 percent. However, you always should test the its internal temperature with a meat thermometer before consuming the ham.

Cooked Smoked Ham

Cooked smoked ham generally can be consumed cold safely as long as it was packaged in a federally inspected plant. If served hot, a cooked smoked ham from a federally inspected plant should be heated to an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Hams that do not originate from a federally inspected plant should be heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, which means you may need to tack a couple of extra minutes onto the recommended cooking time. Preheat your convection oven to 300 degrees F. Whole bone-in cooked hams should be heated for 11 to 13 minutes per pound. Half bone-in hams require 13 to 18 minutes per pound. Boneless canned ham should be heated for 11 to 15 minutes per pound. Vacuum-packed boneless ham require seven to 10 minutes per pound. Whole and half spiral-cut hams need seven to 13 minutes per pound. A boneless arm picnic shoulder requires 19 to 22 minutes per pound.

Uncooked Smoked Ham

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends heating uncooked smoked hams to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. These hams will take a bit longer to heat in a 300-degree oven than a cooked smoked ham. A whole bone-in smoked ham requires about 13 to 15 minutes per pound to reach that point. A half bone-in ham should cook for 16 to 19 minutes per pound. A bone-in shank or butt should cook for 26 to 30 minutes per pound, while a boneless arm picnic shoulder requires 22 to 26 minutes per pound. A boneless shoulder roll should cook for 26 to 30 minutes per pound.

Uncooked Fresh Ham

Uncooked fresh ham also must be heated to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F before serving. In a 300-degree oven, a whole leg bone-in fresh ham should cook for 16 to 19 minutes per pound. A whole leg boneless fresh ham requires 18 to 21 minutes per pound, while a half bone-in fresh ham should be cooked for 26 to 30 minutes per pound.

Considerations

Always make sure to test the internal temperature of hams before serving them, particularly those that were uncooked. Convection ovens are designed to brown items very quickly, so keep an eye on the ham while it is cooking. If the outside of the meat appears to be browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil over the ham to keep it from burning. The foil may lengthen the baking time.